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| Alpa Reflex II, 1945-52 by Cocktail Hour |
Alpa is the brand name of successive generations of high-quality 35mm SLR cameras made by the Swiss manufacturer Pignons S.A. It was of an unusually solid construction, and featured a cast metal body with figured surfaces. Controls were very simple, consisting of only a film-advance lever, and a shutter-speed indicator. Lenses were labeled "Kern-Switar." The standard lens for the Alpa 10d was a macro 50mm lens, unusual for its time.
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| Alpa 10d, 1968-74 by Cinematto |
The original design was called the Bolca Reflex and had been made by Jacques Bogopolsky, who had already designed the Bolex movie camera (see Bolsey). The rights were bought by Pignons in 1942, who named the camera the Alpa Reflex.
Alpas were very expensive hand-made cameras, made of carefully selected materials, with many variants that could be produced on special order. The company ceased camera production in 1990 and liquidation was initiated.
Cameras
- Alpa-Reflex
- Alpa Reflex Mod. 6b
- Alpa Reflex 9d
- Alpa Reflex 10d
- Alpa Reflex 11z
- Alpa 12 TC
- Alpa 12 WA
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| Alpa 12 TC by Carlos Echenique |
The Alpa trademark was purchased by new owners Capaul & Weber in 1996. Later that year, the Alpa name was revived for a prototype of a new, premium-level medium format camera, the Alpa 12. Production models of the 12WA, and 12/SWA (with built-in perspective control) followed in 1998. All of these cameras had a modular design that accepts a variety of superb wide-angle lenses from Rodenstock, Carl Zeiss, and Schneider.
Links
- company homepage
- Alpa Reflex Cameras from Switzerland at alpareflex.com
- Alpa Reflex Series D at Collection Even
- Alpa Cameras at www.collection-appareils.fr
- Alpa English instruction manuals at Orphancameras.com
- Alpa 6B at Au fil des Images (in French)
- Alpa Cameras Price Guide, Photos, Descriptions at collectiblend.com